For ‘The Kids’ Choice’, it is true that they are winning in the ratings. But in hindsight, it is more of a moral defeat than an actual victory because the numbers tell more of a losing battle.

While Kantar figures suggest that last Sunday’s finale of ‘The Kids’ Choice’ was a success, in reality it is not. Its 26.8% rating was a major drop-off from the second season finale of ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids’ which hit 45.6%.

In terms of overall performance from start to finish, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ failed to deliver as well. None of its episodes cracked the 30% barrier, with its highest-rated episode being the first which received 29%.

Again, this was a huge step back from ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids’ which routinely hit the 30% mark or higher in its run. To make matters worse, GMA took advantage of ‘The Kids’ Choice”s ineptitude, as ‘The Clash’ came to within 1% of the latter in its finale last month.

With such a pitiful performance in spite of the show’s good ratings, it is no secret why ABS-CBN pulled the plug on ‘The Kids’ Choice’ after only 20 episodes. The concept may be original, but in the eyes of the viewers, the Just Kids League is simply too raw and too young to process some serious critical thinking.

Not even the shift from ordinary kids to celebrities last month made the difference. Overall, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ had potential written all over, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

To ABS-CBN’s credit, however, they at least gave it a try. A round of applause should dim all the pain.

Still, much like the ill-fated GMA talent show ‘Anak Ko Yan’ a few years ago, only a few will reminisce about ‘The Kids’ Choice’. This is one forgettable show that ABS-CBN would like to get rid of, and for good reason: it simply did not resonate with the masses.

ABS-CBN’s overdependence on celebrities in its talent and game shows is once again rearing its ugly head.

This time, the victim is ‘The Kids’ Choice’, whose last few episodes were celebrity editions. Since September 29, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ featured either Kapamilya child celebrities or sons/daughters of Kapamilya celebrities, a drastic departure from past episodes involving ordinary kids.

While ‘The Kids’ Choice’ is currently performing well in the ratings, it seems like ABS-CBN is in no mood to celebrate. After all, the program’s 27% average is less than that of its predecessor ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids’ which regularly peaked in the 30s.

To make matters worse, ‘The Kids’ Choice’ was nearly beaten by the finale of ‘The Clash’ during the weekend of September 29 as the latter came within 1% of the former’s ratings. Overall, since its premiere on September 2, the gap between ‘The Kids’ Choice’ and its competitor was only around 5%.

It was clear that the dominance of past ABS-CBN talent shows was nowhere to be found on ‘The Kids’ Choice’. While it was an original creation, a rarity for ABS-CBN these days, viewers were unimpressed with how the show is being conducted.

Considering that the judges are just 10-year-old elementary school celebrity children with raw trains of thought, the criticisms are undeniable. Exposing them to unfamiliar territory as superiors was just too much to ask for.

Somewhere in Timog Avenue, the folks from GMA Network are celebrating this near-victory. And it will not be a surprise to see either ‘Daddy’s Gurl’ or ‘Studio 7’ overtake ‘The Kids’ Choice’, unless something drastic happens.

That said, the shift from ordinary children to celebrities was a clear desperate move on ABS-CBN’s part to improve the ratings of ‘The Kids’ Choice’ and restore its dominance in that timeslot. The show may be intriguing and unique to begin with, but at the end of the day, the network only cares about the bottom line.